June 14, 2013, 11:02AM

Those attending Friday morning's State of Education presentation at the St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce meeting likely weren't surprised by what they heard. The parish's public schools continue to be among Louisiana's best, the speakers said. St. Tammany Parish's 55 public schools enjoy broad support in the community, so much so that 84 percent of the students in... Full story »

June 13, 2013, 6:16PM

State Reps. Wesley Bishop and Jared Brossett, D-New Orleans, are pushing to make McDonogh 35 a selective-admissions high school once more. The Louisiana House this spring approved their resolution asking the Orleans Parish School Board to set a timeline by Oct. 31 for that transition. Resolutions demonstrate the will of the House but do not hold the force of law. Bishop... Full story »

June 13, 2013, 4:21PM

Louisiana has a lower proportion of college graduates than any other state except West Virginia, according to a report released Thursday. The Lumina Foundation, a private Indianapolis-based organization dedicated to increasing the number of Americans with two- and four-year degrees, prepared the survey. According to the report, 27.9 percent of Louisiana adults 25 to 64 years old held degrees... Full story »

June 12, 2013, 6:29PM

New Orleans' $1.8 billion school construction program entered its busiest phase yet Wednesday when the Recovery School District broke ground on a new classroom building in Mid-City. Over the course of the summer, construction is scheduled to start on 10 campuses. The post-Hurricane Katrina master plan cuts the number of public school campuses in the city from more than... Full story »

June 12, 2013, 2:07PM

The Jefferson Parish public school system has launched a new online registration system for parents to enter student and family information. From June 17 to July 3, parents may log into the school's website, jpschools.org, and enter information that formerly had to be completed by paperwork in school. Families new to the system must begin the process by inputting... Full story »

June 11, 2013, 5:35PM

The Grace King High School teacher accused of child pornography has been placed on indefinite leave from his job. The Jefferson Parish public school system disclosed the employment status of Walter Sologaistoa, 43, of Kenner, but did not say whether the Spanish teacher is still being paid. Sologaistoa was booked Friday with 10 counts of distributing child pornography. "Mr.... Full story »

June 11, 2013, 4:40PM

Superintendent James Meza said Tuesday he changed his mind about the position of chief academic officer in Jefferson Parish public schools, filling the position instead of leaving it vacant, because of the volume of new classroom initiatives arriving in schools. Meza had said in January he would not fill the post after Richard Carpenter retired, but on Monday he... Full story »

June 11, 2013, 4:28PM

The state Department of Education touted progress in Louisiana public schools Tuesday but said it will continue to raise expectations for educators and students. Its five-page annual report highlights several controversial measures, notably the Compass teacher evaluation system that relies heavily on student test scores and the expansion of the Recovery School District, the state agency that takes over... Full story »

June 10, 2013, 6:29PM

Louisiana isn't making the progress it promised with a $17.4 million grant to improve public schools, according to an article in Education Week's Politics K-12 blog. The money was awarded in December 2011 as a "consolation prize" for states that were runners-up in 2010's $4.4 billion Race to the Top competition, which directed federal economic recovery money to school reform. Seven... Full story »

June 10, 2013, 3:03PM

Julie Berner had known for a long time that she wanted to be a school principal. She began her career in education as a fourth-grade teacher, and when the principal position at J.C. Ellis Elementary in Metairie opened up in 2000, she took the plunge and applied even though she had no supervisory experience. She got it, however, and... Full story »

June 10, 2013, 1:53PM

Harry Shearer, the multitalented writer, actor, director and producer who also provides voices for more than 20 characters on "The Simpsons," has been named an artist in residence at Loyola University's College of Music and Fine Arts. Shearer, 69, said he will draw on his experience to advise film-making students and will conduct workshops on writing, acting and directing.... Full story »

June 08, 2013, 11:06AM

Mayor Mitch Landrieu will be the featured speaker at the International High School of New Orleans graduation ceremonies on June 10 at Tulane. It's the first graduating class for the Central Business District charter, which is led by former Orleans Parish School Board Superintendent Anthony Amato. The school emphasizes international engagement and foreign language fluency, with French and Spanish immersion programs. In... Full story »

June 07, 2013, 7:43PM

Louisiana high school students could soon have more options in studying for the workplace as state officials move forward on an initiative to improve vocational education. Though a "career diploma" already exists, the curriculum is limited to courses in business and customer service. Only 2,400 students statewide were pursuing a career diploma in the 2012-13 academic year, and only... Full story »

June 07, 2013, 6:51PM

Southern University at New Orleans officials say the job description that Orleans Parish School Board President Ira Thomas submitted to the state attorney general is not valid. That could hobble Thomas' efforts to argue that he may serve on the board while simultaneously holding his day job as SUNO police chief. Thomas submitted his job description to the attorney general May... Full story »